This is my understanding of it, but a picture disc is basically a cardboard or paper sheet placed in between two really thin slabs of vinyl. For the most part, picture discs are just really noisy and poorly pressed- they're meant to be collectibles or wall hangers, not definitive editions. Apparently the picture disc edition of The Final Frontier was supposed have really great mastering, but the noise was pretty bad in exchange. Colored or splattered vinyl is just as good as regular black vinyl since it's just a change in the dye though. (Vinyl is clear by default, but it's dyed black as a standard).

Interesting. I had always assumed they were printed on one side, like a CD is. Why not just do that? Unless they haven't worked out a way to get the ink to take on the vinyl surface.

Also, if it's such a known thing that they always sound like shit, why do they keep producing them except for wall hanging? Which actually makes it pointless pressing the music into them in the first place.

In these particular cases... why do the discs have single artwork on them instead of album artwork?

Also, if it's such a known thing that they always sound like shit, why do they keep producing them except for wall hanging? Which actually makes it pointless pressing the music into them in the first place.